Sole press



Sept. 20, 1938. E. J. LE GAULT SOLE PRESS Filed June 26, 1937 5Sheets-Sheet 1 l Ayma- E. J. LE GAULT SOLE PRESS Filed June 26, 1937Sept. 20, 1938.

5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 20, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEsoils rnnss of Massachusetts Application June 26, 1937, Serial No.150,592

3 Claims.

This invention relates to presses for use in applying pressure to shoebottoms, for example, in cement-attaching soles to shoes or for anyother operation in which it is desired to apply a pre- 5,,; determinedpressure to the contour of a shoe bottom for a controllable interval oftime. In one aspect the invention consists in improvements upon themachine disclosed in my copending ap plication, Serial No. 114,2 llfiled December 4,

lib-1936. In anotherasp'ect it consists in improvements which are ofgeneral applicationto machines of that type.- v r p Objects of theinvention are to improve the shoe-supporting and positioning elementsand the mo -inflatable pad, and in general to provide an improved jackfor sole presses. To these ends an important feature consists" in abedpiece carry ing an inflatable pad and having posts located at eachend in combination with a shoe holding bar pivotally' connected to onepost and connected for limited vertical adjustment to the other post. Itwill be understood that the inflatable pad in presses of this type isconformed more or less to the irregular contour of the bottom so that inpresenting the shoe with its temporarily attached sole ample clearancegreatly facilitates the work of the operator. In presses where suchclearance is not allowed there is always danger of displacing the solein the step of presenting the shoe in ,]operative position. Accordingly,the present invention contemplates a shoe holding bar which isyieldingly maintained in elevated position at one end, preferablycorresponding to the heel end of the shoe, and is associated with meansby which ;;it may be swung toward the pad by the operator and located inits lowered position. after the shoe has been presented and accuratelylocated under conditions of ample clearance.

Other features of theinvention relate more particularly to .theconstruction of the inflatable pad which is herein shown as constructedof two flat sheets of heavy leather or the like of substantially equalsize and the contour of an enlarged shoe bottom, the said pieces beingunited throughout their side edges and forepart with a marginal stripwhich is interposed between their edges and laced together at their heelends. Such a pad may be constructed conveniently at a minimum ofexpense. It is of sturdy and reliable construction and well adapted toacquire a molded contour corresponding to that of the shoe bottom.Moreover, the laced rear ends of the sheets comprising the pad aifordconvenient means of removing and replacing the enclosed bladder shouldthis be necessary.

Preferably, and as herein shown, the pad is provided with a transversereinforcing sheet which is located in the pad beneath the forepart ofthe shoe. This has been found not only to increase the life of the pad,but to insure animproved distribution of pressure upon the shoe bottom.

These and other features of the invention will be best undersood andappreciated from the following description of a preferred embodimentthereof, selected for purposes of illustration and shown in theaccompanying drawings in which,

Fig. l is a view of the improved jack in side elevation, showing theshoe holding bar in elevated position,

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing also the machine frame, the shoesupporting bar being shown in its lowered position,

Fig. 3 is a view in front elevation of one of the posts,

Fig. 4 is a view in elevation of the jack showing the shoe supportingbar lowered and the pad inflated.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the pad and a shoe thereon,

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary View in perspective of the pad, and

Fig. 7 is a view of the uninflated pad in longitudinal section.

The press herein shown comprises a plurality of jacks, only one of whichis illustrated, arranged around a segmental frame H supported by legs H3at a height convenient for the operator as more fully disclosed in myapplication above identified.

Each of the jacks comprises a cast bed plate.

l2 having a recess or pocket in its upper face and being inclinedupwardly toward the toe end. of the shoe and outwardly with reference tothe segmental supporting frame. The base plate overhangs the frame 9 Ion each end and is provided with a pair of vertical posts l3 and l4. Thepost I4 is rigidly but adjustably secured to the forward end of the baseplate Iii, having its lower end threaded and provided with check nutsfor that purpose. At its upper end the post I4 is forked and providedwith a transverse pivot pin it upon which the shoe holding or presserbar i6 is arranged to swing. The forward portion of the transverse bar16 is provided with a guideway in which is adjustably mounted adownwardly extending forepart abutment H. The presser bar is curveddownwardly at its rear end to provide an abutment 18 adapted to engagethe comb of the last 46 and its rear end is flattened and reduced inwidth so that it may pass into the forked end of the post l3 which isrigidly secured to the rear end of the base plate [2.

The post I3 is shouldered and maintained in engagement with the baseplate by a nut at its lower end. Its upper end is forked as alreadystated to receive the flattened rear end I9 of the presser bar and it isprovided with a longitudinal bore in which is placed a compressionspring 2!] bearing against the lower side of the reduced end l9 andtending always to lift the presser bar l6 and maintain it in elevatedposition as shown in Fig. 1. In the upper end of the post I3 is mountedan eccentric disk 2| which bears upon the upper side of the reduced endl9 and is provided with an outwardly extending handle 22 by which theoperator may easily and rapidly swing the eccentric disk 2| fromits-open position as shown in Fig. l to its closed or lowered positionas shown in Figs. 2 and 4. By swinging the handle 22 through 180 thepresser bar I6 is forced down- Wardly against the action of the spring20 for a predetermined distance and rigidly locked in its loweredposition with the forepart and last abutments brought into contact withor closely adjacent to the lasted shoe 4| as shown in Fig. 2. In theraised position of the presser bar the operator has ample clearance forinserting the lasted shoe with its temporarily attached outsole 42 inposition beneath the abutment members, and having accurately located theshoe under these conditions, he may then lower the presser barpreparatory to inflating the pad beneath the shoe. Similarly, after thepressure interval, the operator may swing the handle 22 to open positionthus insuring ample clearance between the shoe and the abutment membersfor conveniently removing the shoe with its completely attached sole.

The inflatable pad comprises a pair of pieces 30 and 3| which may be ofsole leather or other tough and flexible sheet material. These piecesare cut to the same size and roughly approximate in outline the shape ofan enlarged shoe bottom. The pieces 30 and 3| are stitched togetherabout their marginal edges by a heavy seam 32 and interposed betweentheir edges is a flexible spacing strip herein shown as a double stripof welting 34, which consists of thin strips of leather in face to faceengagement. This spacer strip extends about the side edges and forepartof the pad, while across the rear end the pieces 30 and 3! are lacedtogether by a lacing 33. The lacing may be removed to afford convenientaccess to the interior of the pad when this is desired, withoutotherwise disturbing the construction of the pad.

As an optional, but desirable feature, the pad is herein shown asequipped with a reinforcing sheet 35 which extends transversely acrossthe pad in a location beneath the forepart of the shoe, being held ateach end by the seam 32 as shown in Figs. and 7. The pad which is usualin presses of this kind contains a rubber bladder 36 having a threadedstem 31 which extends .down through the bed plate [2 and is connected bya tube 38 to a three-way valve 39. The valve 39 communicates with asource of compressed air and has an operating arm connected through atreadle rod 23 to a treadle 24 located beneath the jack and inconvenient reach of the operator. After the shoe has been located asabove explained, the operator may depress the free end of the treadle 24thus lifting the treadle rod and admitting compressed air to the pad30-3|. The lasted shoe is then left under pressure for a sufficientinterval of time to permit the cement to set and effect permanent unionof the sole 42 to the bottom of the shoe. The operator then proceeds towork along the segmental frame placing one shoe after another in thevarious jacks and eventually returns to operate the valve 39 cutting offthe supply of air and opening an exhaust port so that the pad is rapidlydeflated. When this has been done the presser arm is released and theshoe removed as already explained. 7

Having thus disclosed my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is,

1. An improved jack for sole presses, comprising a stationary bed piececarrying an inflatable pad, posts located at both ends of the bed piece,a shoe-holding bar connected to one post and slidably engaged within aslot in the other post, spring means encased in the latter post andnormally elevating said bar, and means mounted in the slotted post andunder the control of the operator for depressing the bar to apredetermined location after a shoe has been presented beneath it. 7

2. An improved jack for sole presses, comprising a bed piece carrying aninflatable pad, posts at both ends of the bed piece, a shoe-holding barpivoted at one end to one post and arranged at its other end to movevertically in a slot provided in the other post, a spring encased in thelatter post tending always to lift that end of said bar, and aneccentric disk mounted in the upper end of the slotted post and bearingat all times upon said bar.

3. An improved jack for sole presses, comprising a base shaped to carryan inflatable pad of full length of a shoe bottom, a toe post having abar pivoted thereto, and a heel post slotted at its upper end to receiveone end of the bar and having a longitudinal bore therein, a spring insaid bore acting at all times to lift said bar, and an eccentric diskjournalled in the heel post and arranged to be rotated by the operatorto force down the heel end of said bar against the action of saidspring.

ELZEAR J. LE GAULT.

